Santa's present

Nice Santa....thank you Santa....you brought me a sore throat and a streaming cold for Christmas. Yes on Christmas Day too! Boxing Day was the worst - I couldn't talk because my throat was just too painful and I felt really miserable. I didn't have the energy to play with my niece and nephew - hopefully I will feel better on Sunday when I see them again. I haven't had a cold for a whole year - why do they always wait until Christmas to attack? Anyway, we had John and Maria from over the road round yesterday (27th) and thankfully my throat was a lot better but now I'm streaming with germs.

I shouldn't complain really; there are far worse things that can happen. My friend Paula's mum had a heart attack just before Christmas - what a dreadful thing to happen. My prayers are with her.

Anyway, it was nice to spend Christmas as usual with family and I did receive some lovely gifts too, including the 125th anniversary Spurs shirt, 6 DVDs, vouchers, photo albums, 3 books, candles, clock with built in sunshine bulb, Spurs t-shirt, and 24 pairs of socks!

The 28th was a rest day. I spent a few hours putting our Sicily photos into one of the albums I received for Christmas. John and I then watched one of his DVD presents: Die Hard 4.0. What a slow and boring film... No, just kidding! It was not stop action with Bruce Willis kicking everybody's ass as usual. Good stuff! We then started watching Liar Liar on TV but then we had a power cut. The first one lasted about 10 seconds, the second and third were a few minutes and then the fourth was the long one. Luckily we had heaps of candles around the house and it all looked very cosy and festive. Maria came over to boil some water to make a cup of tea as she had guests over. I met our new next door neighbour (another Paula) in the darkness - she had just come home to find the power off and wanted to know how long it had been. She decided to go back to her boyfriend's. Hopefully, we'll get better acquainted in daylight!

I didn't go to Chris and Sandy's for New Year's Eve as I still felt really rough. I now have an awful dry tickly cough which is draining my energy. I saw the new year in with the TV and watched the fireworks over London - what a spectacular sight it was too! On New Year's Day, John invited Chris and Sandy and their kids along for lunch. Paul and his girls were in tow as well so had a house full for the afternoon - hope no-one caught my germs.

Today is the 2nd January and I still have the lurg. I've been coughing and spluttering for eight days now. I didn't go back to work today - I feel pretty rough at home so no doubt I'd feel ten times worse in the office. I'll see how I feel tomorrow...

We've been without email and the internet for 5 days now, hence no blogs. Seemed a bit of a coincident that it happened since the power cut and the same thing has occurred over the road at John and Maria's who are also with blue yonder. Their automated messages seemed to indicate nothing was amiss yet when John (our neighbour) rang them, they said there were some problems which they were dealing with. However, John rang them today and they confirmed nothing was wrong and went through some processes with John over the phone. Seems there is a problem with our router and will need to buy another one. Don't ask me - I've no idea what that means. But at least we now have access up on the pc in the loftroom.

Derby blues

Gooners 2 Spurs 1

Team: Robbo, Lee (Taarabt), Chimbo, Kaboul, Tainio, O'Hara, Steed, KPB (Huddlestone), Lennon, Keano (Defoe), Berba

Performance and possession-wise, I think you could say it was Spurs' first half. A very open game with space all over the pitch and Spurs knocked the ball around comfortably and with confidence. Robbo's kicking to Berba was particularly accurate

Ramos has certainly waved a magic wand over the team who are now looking as good as they did last season. However, a couple of criticisms I have is that they were not getting in any decent shots - two out of the three were miles wide; Boateng with the only good chance on 40 minutes. Also, not closing down the opponents quickly enough (that old chestnut).

Annoyingly, the commentators once again made reference to Berbatov's facial expression and body language! They are like a cracked record and totally uncalled for considering he was having a good game. How many players do you see running around with big grins on their faces?!!!

Jamie O'Hara, given his first start today and bearing in mind how big this tie is, played exceptionally well. I was very impressed and would expect him to make the first team on a regular basis.

The second half didn't start well. The Gooners came out all guns blazing and had clearly been given a kick up the arse (pun intended). Adebayour scored three minutes in and for the first time in the game our defence were off guard.

Spurs got back in the game in the 65th minute. O'Hara's fantastic pass to Lennon who in turn found Keane at the far post, and unfortunately the ball rattled the crossbar. Just 30 seconds later, Spurs were level when Berba smashed the top of the net from a very acute angle. In the 72nd minute referee Rob Stiles awarded Spurs a penalty after Berba was caught by Toure in the middle of the box. Feelings of disbelief that we could go 2-1 up were somehow justified when Keano failed to net the spot kick in his usual manner. The direction of his kicks (right of the goalie) are becoming too frequent, but he usually hits them high out of the reach of the goalkeeper's hands. A rare miss and a crucial one - I feel the pressure of the occasion got to him.

Two minutes later, the game turned sour when substitute Bendtner headed Arsenal into the lead from a header - his first touch! Spurs didn't recover after that and a few heads went down and the frustration showed.

ARGH! So close. I really don't know how we lost this game as Arsenal certainly weren't at their best and our lads are improving more and more. Our seasons always seem to be filled with 'if onlys' and here's another one. :(

In dreamland....

Man City 0 Spurs 2 (Carling Cup)

I can hardly believe it! Are things finally looking up for us?

JD got his first start for ages and scored within five minutes - say no more. It's gotta happen more often as Bent has proved he's not worth his price tag. However, it all turned sour after 20 minutes when Zokora (still a makeshift centre back) was sent off by referee Bennett. Unfortunately, the internet froze at that moment so I didn't see the tackle but from what I gather from the commentary, it sounded extremely harsh - I will watch the highlights on TV later. If this red card wasn't warranted, that'll be two players wrongly sent off in a matter of weeks (Keano has now served his three match ban). So down to ten men for another 70 minutes of the match and poor old Jermain gets subbed for Tainio. I can understand his frustration but he did unfortunately show some descent to the manager.


Our defence has suffered a lot this season. So many injuries with King, Bale, Gardner, Assou-Ekotto and Rocha. The latest casualty is Dawson who is ill but hopefully he will be back for the Gooner game this weekend. Zokora has slotted into the centre back position okay, but without him, Tainio also has to fill in. Taking all that into consideration, I think they did a damn fine job tonight - a vast improvement.

Other things that stood out for me was how they got to the ball first and their determination. Unfortunately this resulted in some yellow cards and at times I felt like it was going to fall apart. But miraculously it didn't. With ten men, Spurs showed magnificent resilience and Robbo made two fantastic reaction saves.

The pressure was eased dramatically when a superb long range pass from O'Hara found Malbranque in the centre forward position, and he kept his composure to put Spurs 2-0 up. Berba could have made it three when he turned the defender with great skill but then shot too near the goalkeeper.

Another clean sheet and through to the semis. I'm really proud of my boys.

EDIT: True enough, the red card was ridiculous. Yes - Zokora's studs were showing but he actually won the ball; he didn't even touch the player! (see pic below). Unfortunately, after another appeal, the FA has rejected it. What a surprise!

What an anti clilmax!

I demand a recount! I can't believe Rhydian wasn't crowned winner of the X Factor. It's so wrong. It's not that I dislike Leon but he just doesn't have the charisma to warrant being the winner. I think his duet with Kylie may have swung things for him - the jazzed up version of 'Better the devil you know' was the style she used in her Showgirl Homecoming Tour.

All the way though, Rhydian has delivered excellent performances and has not sang one note out of key. You really feel emotion when he sings. I didn't like him at all at the beginning; he appeared too arrogant and cocky for my liking - a trait I can't stand in people. However, that hard edged exterior soon softened up and as the compliments flooded out of the judges' mouths, he always seemed surprised. It seems such an anti-climax to get all the way to the final and your favourite doesn't win - still, I realise it's not life or death situation - Rhydian will surely gain a very successful career from this.

I thank the Lord that Same Difference didn't win as their gushy personalities and over the top smiles freaked me out.

One observation: last year Leona won - this year Leon. Just an 'A' missing! I doubt anyone will better her in the future.

Whoop whoop whoop!!

Pompey 0 Spurs 1

All I can say is WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
1) Spurs win 2) away from home 3) against an on-form team 4) clean sheet 5) Berby scored

It can't get much better than that.

No match review today, I really can't be arsed...just ecstatic because I predicted we'd lose and so I'm on a complete high. We have more points than games played now.

Oooh and I think they said on Gilette Soccer Saturday that this game displayed the most pairs of gloves ever! I will be counting when I see the highlights it later on. :)

No slip ups this time - phew!

Spurs 2 Man City 1

Team: Robinson, Chimbonda, Kaboul, Dawson, Lee, Malbranque, Zokora, Lennon (Boateng), Jenas, Berbatov (Tainio), Bent (Defoe)

It was a cold and damp day at the Lane and with Spurs' results of late, the mood of the fans reflected the weather. The atmosphere was truly lacking and at times, it was almost silent around the stadium.

I don't know why exactly but it felt like a strange game. It was neither good nor bad, there were some pleasing moves and some dreadful ones, our defence was rarely troubled by City but nothing was coming off for us up front. Maybe we were missing Keano, who unfairly received a red card last week and is now serving a three match ban despite an appeal. Kaboul didn't seem to know how to kick a ball - I counted four times when his attempt at an aerial pass flew aimlessly away by a huge distance. He would have been subbed had Ramos had an option on the bench. Anybody still think Anthony Gardner is a liability? Hurry up and get fit Tony!

I think Spurs have to think themselves lucky with the first goal just before half time. Chimbonda was clearly offside at the far post but this went unnoticed to everyone's relief. It's about time we had some luck for a change. Of course, City equalised and once again Spurs found themselves unable to defend a corner and it was headed in. City went down to ten men quite rightly when YP Lee was chopped down two footed by Steven Ireland. He could've broken his leg. The fans were calling for Defoe and he finally entered the arena with fifteen minutes left. This was enough though and he made some good runs and held the ball well. With nine minutes to go, a deflection off the post found JD and wasn't going to miss. We now entered 'cardiac arrest' time but for once, Spurs managed to hold on for the three points.

Once again, Steed was MOTM for me. 100% effort, great tackling, always on the heels of the opponents. His performances have earned him a regular place and well deserved. If he carries on like this, he may achieve Spurs Player of the Year.

A good day at last, and it was topped off with the Gooners losing to Boro! :)

I love being on top

:) Got you looking didn't it?! Sorry, just footie talk again.

Anderlecht 1 Spurs 1 (Berbatov pen)

A draw against the Belgians meant top of the group after our last game. All we need now is for Getafe and Anderlecht to draw in a couple of weeks and we will win the group, meaning an easier first tie in the knock out stages.

I wasn't sure about the line-up again - Mr Ramos seems to be keeping everyone on their toes and even left Kaboul at home, putting Zokora in central defence.

Team: Robinson, Chimbonda, Zokora, Dawson, Lee, Malbranque, Jenas, Huddlestone, Lennon, Keane, Bent. Used subs: Stalteri, Berbatov, Defoe

Spurs could surely have won the game if they'd pressed a bit harder. In the first half they were closing down the ball better than they have been but seemed to forget in the second. There are still a lot of problems all over the pitch, especially the defending which again looked a mess when the goal was conceded. I don't know how many times during a game I yell out 'get your foot on the ball'.

I just have one thing to add and that is if Berba gets any more relaxed, he will fall over! He showed his class when he came on for the last half hour with intricate little touches and passes. No fuss, no rush. But then I am a tad biased :)

The main talking points were not really about the football, the referee for one was a bit dodgy with his decisions but at least he gave the penalty correctly. In the closing minutes, masses of missles were thrown from the Anderlecht fans, one of which hit Zokora. They were all gathered after the final whistle which included a metal pipe, an inhaler and several cigarette lighters. UEFA no doubt will take this incident very seriously and so they should.

Take That and Party!

Saturday night was the long awaited arrival of the Take That gig at the o2 Arena in London. Al and I had been looking forward to this event since we bought the tickets early in the year, forking out a massive £245 each for the privilege of a 'sold out' 3rd row seat via an agency. Mad I know, but we knew it'd be worth it and it may be a 'once in a lifetime' scenario.

Travelling up there was no problem - easy peasy, Shoeburyness to West Ham then on the Jubilee Line to North Greenwich. Good job I checked because John said we needed to get on the DLR from Limehouse, and this would have been totally wrong!

Anyway, on to the show. Firstly I have to say what amazing seats we had. Although it was 3rd row to the left side of the stage, they were staggered in such a way that there was no-one in front of us. We were literally a few feet from the barrier which went all the way around the stage.

The first support act was a singer called Tim Daniel, an unknown artist who was promoting his first album. His music was inoffensive and quite catchy at the time, but then instantly forgettable. Next up was Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who was on stage for half an hour. I recognised most of the songs and she ended with Groovejet (the one she featured on with Spiller) followed by Murder on the Dancefloor. There was nothing wrong with her performance but I couldn't have sat through an entire gig of hers.

Fifteen minutes later, Gary, Howard, Mark and Jason arrived on stage to rapturous applause. This is what we had been waiting for! The show was absolutely amazing - they performed most of their hits and as it was the Beautiful World tour, quite a few from the album. These are the songs as far as I can remember (I may have forgotten a couple - Al, help me out!), in no particular order:

Beautiful World
I'd wait for life
Relight my fire
Reach out
Patience
Back for good
Could it be magic
It only takes a minute
Rule the world
Sure
Wooden boat
Everything changes
Never forget
Shine
Pray

Looking back on it I can't believe they left out 'A Million Love Songs', 'How Deep is your love' and 'Love ain't here anymore'. However, they are all ballads, so maybe it was better to keep most of the show uptempo. I know Mark said he sang 'Babe' in their last tour and wasn't going to do it this time.

The stage sets, lighting, dancers and effects were brilliant. You couldn't fault any of it; it was pure entertainment and the guys were such pros. When they stood at our side of the stage, they were literally about 10-12 feet away and looked straight down at us smiling and waving. So surreal being that close.

During 'Relight my fire', flames ignited all around the stage and it was intensely hot. The guys had special gear on which allowed certain parts of their bodies to catch on fire - I think it was Jason's shoe, possibly Howard's leg (?) and Mark's hat but unfortunately Gary's arm didn't catch alight.

Half way through the show, they walked across a bridge onto a small circular stage in the middle of the arena where they performed for approximately 15 minutes. Al and I felt hard done by after paying so much to be up the front but I suppose that's being a bit selfish! One of the best moments for me was when the guys returned from that stage to the main one, coming through the audience and through a barrier a few feet away from us. I managed to stroke Howard's arm and when I held out my hand to Mark he shook it. Gary and Jason had entered the other side of the stage.

As you may have seen, Gary has lost an awful lot of weight which meant he had no difficulty doing the dance routines. However, it made me chuckle because when watching his facial expressions during the routines, you could still see that he doesn't particularly enjoy doing it. Bless!

'Never Forget' was fantastic. A great sing-a-long song in its own right and of course, you have to do the arm raising thing, but the effects they used were very clever indeed. They guys were on some sort of treadmill but no matter how hard I try, I really can't explain the rest of it. Perhaps the 6th pic below will help a little but you really had to be there to understand it properly. They said goodnight after this one but you just knew there would be an encore. Sure enough, they returned to complete the night with 'Shine' and 'Pray', two of my all time faves. No frills, just the four of them side by side doing what they do best. Magnificent!

One dampener on the evening was a 'jobsworth' security guard who looked little more than 17 years old. For half the show, fans were told to stay in front of their seats but as it went on, the entire centre barrier had bodies hanging over it. Al and I did the same but were ushered back. Some people in our area returned to the barrier and were not told to move - it was totally unfair and inconsistent. However, we still had a fabulous night - it was over far too quickly though; we could've done it all over again. Thanks for your company girlie! I do hope it's not Take That's last ever tour (as indicated on the night) coz I'm certainly up for it again!

I managed to take quite a few photos and these are a selection of the best ones.

Religion gone mad

I felt I just had to write a quick blog about the madness that is Islam. Gillian Gibbons, a teacher helping in Sudan was taken into custody last week after allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad. She was tried for blasphemy under Sudanese law and found guilty which meant 40 lashes or a jail sentence. However, protests were being made on the streets of Khartoum, appealing for her execution. What is the world coming to?! She received 15 days in jail. Thankfully, Gillian was pardoned after two Muslim members of the House of Lords, Lord Nazir Ahmed and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, travelled to Khartoum and lobbied the Sudanese government. She flew home today.

I do respect that religion is an important part of certain countries' existence but surely they can see that this kind of behaviour is totally ridiculous and defies logic. It was a very honest mistake but common sense has to prevail.

A week in the life of Tottenham Hotspur

I've been resting my shoulder hence three blogs in one covering Spurs' last three games...

West Ham 1 Spurs 1 (25th November)

It was never likely to be a repeat of last season's classic 3-4 win at Upton Park, and it wasn't.
Two mistakes from either team secured the 1-1 scoreline. Kaboul, ever becoming a bit of a liability in defence hesitated on the ball and instead of making an easy clearance, it was charged down leaving him one on one, then a neat pass across the box left Robbo stranded.

Robert Greene was the villain for Spurs' equaliser when he came to punch the ball but missed it by miles, leaving Dawson to head it into an open goal. The big debate of the day was the refereeing decision when Keane just had Greene to beat, lobbed it over his head but was brought down by the goalkeeper's trailing leg. If there wasn't contact then why would Robbie fall over when a goal was looming? Riley wasn't to be convinced despite all of Robbie's flapping and it felt like we'd been robbed yet again. More drama followed when the ref did give Spurs a penalty in the dying minutes for a bit of a lame tackle on Defoe. I wouldn't have given it personally but as we should've had the first one, I think it was fair. This was probably in the mindset of the referee as well. However, with Keane already substituted by this time, JD was left to deal with the penalty but sadly it wasn't good enough and Greene parried it onto the post. What a chance spurned! So just another point earned.

Spurs 3 Aalborg 2 (29th November)

Truly a game of two halves. The opponents took the lead within two minutes of the start and stunned Spurs. It didn't get any better when they went two up and it looked like a shock was on the cards. However, Mr Ramos got his tactics right and brought on Huddlestone and Bent for Jenas and Kaboul in the second half which made an immediate impact. Berbatov, Malbranque and Bent scored the goals which made for a classic comeback and immense relief.

Spurs 2 Birmingham 3 (2 December)

I was back at the Lane for this fixture, and very much looking forward to a good win following on from Thursday's great comeback. The area when we were sitting had a great atmosphere - loads of singing and ranting, just how I like it!

Oh man! (there it is) - yet again, it was a quite unbelievable outcome...or should I say believable knowing what Spurs are capable of? For once, the boys came out straight away looking up for it and actually showed us that they can play attractive football. They created heaps of chances and it was all one way traffic; it could easily have been 4-0 in the first half and would've killed off the game. But no, that is not the Spurs way. Of course, we let the opposition score first, totally against the run of play...although to be fair, it was a very soft penalty which lead to their goal. Kaboul was adjudged to have tripped the opponent but upon seeing the highlights on tv, it really was a poor refereeing decision. Sound familiar?

We've quickly learned that if you don't play well, Ramos will whip you off the pitch and that happened again with Kaboul. He was the only one letting the side down in the first 45 minutes, and a replacement central defender is getting desperate now with Ledley's comeback being put back constantly - to be honest, I don't think he'll ever be fit again. Dawson isn't the player he was last season and Gardner is injured and I have no idea what's happened to Rocha. I wonder how much dosh Mr Ramos will be given to play with in the January transfer window but honestly, the way the team are playing at the moment, I'd say they need to replace half of them.

Anyway, back to the game. Huddlestone and Defoe came on for Kaboul and Bent. Not sure I would have replaced Bent so early and it proved so, as JD hardly made an impact. The tempo was lost a little but it wasn't long before Spurs also won a penalty when Berba was tripped. Keano scored with confidence as per usual. A few minutes later, Spurs went 2-1 up courtesy of
Robbie Keane again. If only they had kept up the momentum and scored the third it would've killed the game off and everything went pear-shaped from then on. Bale got an injury to his foot/ankle and hobbled off - Lee the replacement. Birmingham scored an unexpected equaliser when the defence was found lacking again. Robbie was then adjudged to have gone into a tackle with studs, after the ref consulted the 4th official Mr Uriah Renny and gave him a straight red. Absolutely ridiculous! Even if it was a distance away from where we were sitting, I knew in my heart that Robbie would not intentionally try to hurt another player - upon seeing the tv highlights I was livid! It was clearly not a malicious tackle by any means, there was only one leg involved not two and it was a ridiculous decision. Stitched up like a kipper yet again! The club have since confirmed they will be appealing against the red card. The worse possible scenario happened in injury time, when a long range effort from Larsson gave Robbo no chance at all. Just how many times has this happened to us? It's getting to be such a regular occurrence, can we consider ourselves to be the unluckiest club in the league or it is always the slack defending that let's us down? We are already officially the most stressful team to watch in the Premiership.

I must say I am impressed with the new manager's ethos so far, but why are players still not closing the ball down quicker? For me, this is the most fundamental problem and it is causing us to let in so many goals. It's not as if it's a hard problem to solve - just do it!!!

Big up Biggins!

A belated well done to Biggins who was crowned 'King of the Jungle' on Friday! I'm afraid I'm on catch-up with my blogs from the past 7/8 days as I've been resting my shoulder. He certainly was a worthy winner - such a lovely, warm-hearted and funny man; he lightened the mood as soon as he entered the jungle, a couple of days after everybody else. He was brave in all his trials, especially the last one where he had to eat the most ghastly things - they get worse and worse every year. I always have to hide behind a cushion when the kangaroo testicle comes out - it makes me gag my guts up seeing someone try and chew one. Urgh! Surprisingly, Janice Dickinson came runner-up but I guess she was someone you love to hate. What made my laugh was she accused everyone else of moaning when she was the worst! I get the feeling her 'OH MAN' will be used rather a lot from now on!

A lot of people may detest reality celebrity shows but I just think it's one of the best entertainment shows on telly. Maybe it's seeing other people suffering that attracts us?!

I'm gradually falling apart

Well I've been back at work for 3 weeks now after almost 6 months off with back pain; I started at 3 days a week at 9am-1pm, increasing to 4 days the second week and 5 days this week. Next week, the hours will be 9am-2pm and will increase until I'm full time again (urgh! how will I ever get used to that again?). My new height adjustable desk is great, meaning I can stand up and work whenever I want. However, I have been struggling a lot with pain in my shoulder, brought on (I think) from overuse of the laptop and therefore using the mouse and keyboard at work was just aggravating the problem. I brought it to the attention of my supervisor and manager staright away and without hesitation a new special keyboard has been ordered and I have been put on a rehab plan for that as well - this week, I had to refrain from working 60% in every hour. This will reduce by 10% each week. I went to the docs at the beginning of the week and useless as he is, seemed to think it was swelling of the shoulder joint (which has a more technical term but I can't remember the long word). I am taking anti-inflammitories which seem to be doing the trick, unless of course, it's just the rest which is helping the pain. Who knows? I can't fault my employers in any way for their support and understanding considering I've been such a pain in the arse.

I haven't been on myspace much recently as I need to rest my shoulder so apologies for not being so interactive as usual. Here's hoping I can stay in one piece for the rest of the year and maybe I will find a new younger body in my Christmas stocking. Thanks Santa!

What a bunch of muppets!

England were given an unlikely lifeline when Israel beat Russia last weekend, and we only needed a draw against Croatia to qualify for the Euro Championships. So what do we do? Lose. T

The first goal conceded was a howler from Carson when he didn't get his body behind the ball and it rolled off his arms into the top of the net. The second one, England's defence were asleep and Croatia easily beat our attempt at an offside trap. Embarrassing. I fail to see why McLaren left it until half time to make the changes - it was clear the formation wasn't working the way it was. Anyway, Beckham and Defoe came on second half and instantly, things improved. I will never say a bad word against David; he has consistently been England's backbone for the past however many years. Defoe won a penalty which may have been harsh but there was a definite tugging of his shirt. Lampard easily converted it. Then came a brilliantly accurate cross from who else? and Crouch took it on his chest and banged it in from a few yards out. All that hard work was undone though when Croatia took the lead again and despite having chances, England failed to score again which was curtains for them. Had Andorra levelled against Russia it would have been a different story but how many times can we rely on other teams to save our bacon? Andorra haven't won in 29 Euro matches so there wasn't much hope anyway.

So England won't be there next summer - the lads can have a holiday instead. I don't feel overly disappointed because we didn't deserve it. If we can't beat teams in these qualifying groups, what chance do we have against the best? Well done England - we're proud of you! I suppose it's now back to basics and trying to find a new mug who wants to take the manager's job!

Bulgaria's abandoned children

Last night on BBC2, I watched one of the most distressing documentaries I have ever seen 'Bulgaria's abandoned children'. Kate Blewitt visits a so-called care home over a period of nine months. The institution is in Mogilino in the north of the country where 75 children with a variety of handicaps were sent, as their parents were unable or not interested in bringing them up themselves. Some were only deaf or blind but many had more serious afflictions which would need specialist care. The children were never allowed outside and lack of stimulation resulted in most of them rocking back and forth and becoming mute. In general, the staff were not cruel except for the laundry man who hit a couple of the boys; the requirement was that they washed and fed the children which they did, however, the food itself was mostly 'mush' and lacked any vitamins. This resulted in many of the kids displaying terrible malnourishment and resembled scenes of the famine in Ethiopia in the 80s. What was unbelievable was that the staff didn't seem to think anything was wrong and that their conditions were acceptable. I was sobbing all the way through the programme but one little girl in particular had me so distressed, I didn't know what to do with myself. Kate Blewitt noticed that clearly the girl had broken her leg, and was crying out in pain. The staff were oblivious and seemed to think that it was the malnourishment was the cause of pain, and then curiously applied some ointment to the bottom of her foot! I don't know what period of time had passed but on the next visit, the girl had a makeshift splint on her lower leg and was bedridden. At the end of the documentary, you could see how bad the treatment had been because the bone was angled and hadn't set properly. Many of the children who had become bedridden because they could no longer walk, ended up in the nearby cemetery.

There was one girl of 18 called Didi who didn't have an awful lot wrong with her - she was sane, could talk fine and was fairly intelligent but there was no-one to interact with. Her mother told her she was going to collect her on a certain date which was a lie but Didi was holding on to that promise. When it didn't happen, she ended up rocking in her chair which was very sad. As an adult she would be transferred to another institution, and you just fear the worst for her future.

Unloved, no care, forgotten....how the hell can this type of thing happen in a EU country? The director of the institution basically shrugged off any responsibility and blamed the problem on the staff who work there. Apparently, since the documentary was made, many international charities have attempted to get involved but the Bulgarian government has refused.

Update taken from the website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/bulgarias-children.shtml

Friday 16 November 2007

Some changes have taken place since the first showing of this film on BBC Four in September 2007. A team of Non Government Organisations (NGOs) is working with the government to bring about changes to the lives of disabled children growing up in the state institutes in Bulgaria. This NGO alliance is made up of teams who have been working on the ground in Bulgaria for years.

The children in the home in Mogilino have recently been assessed by a medical team, and rehabilitation plans are being put together for each child. Specialists like speech therapists and physiotherapists are being assigned to Mogilino to work with the children. In the long term the plan is to either build purpose-built small group care homes for the disabled - or to relocate the children to better environments with Day Care Centres and potential schooling.

Well at least that's some positive news. I would have been very surprised if nothing had been done about this appalling situation. I can honestly say, those images will remain with me for the rest of my life.

WHL stadium tour

After being a Spurs supporter for some 27 years, I finally made it to the tour of White Hart Lane yesterday afternoon. It is well worth the £7 (as a club member) or £8 otherwise as they take you to all areas of the stadium including reception, board room, function room, changing room, tunnel, executive boxes, and pitch side. There was quite a few people but they don't hurry you and you can take as many pics as you want.

Did you know that for an 8 seater box in the west stand, it cost £40,000 per year?! Gulp. They go up to £60,000 for larger ones. It made me chuckle a bit when the tour guide said Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent have both bought boxes for their families to watch them play....they must be empty a lot of the time! Sorry, couldn't help myself. I guess walking down the tunnel and the changing room was the highlight although you can tell they just put out replica shirts for the purpose of the tour. I was surprised how small the changing room and showers were. In the technical area they have very comfy seats, all heated, but get this, the ones for the visiting team are not heated!!! Yeah - let em freeze!

I was getting ideas when I saw the function room, as it's my 40th next year. Wouldn't it be great to celebrate it at the Lane? It cost about £1000 to hire then you have security and insurance on top of that. Not as bad as I thought it would be but then you got to think about getting people to North London in coaches - all a bit of a palava just for a party maybe?

Anyway, it was well worth doing - highly recommended to any fan.

Points in the bag (at last)

Spurs 4 Wigan 0

Well I may have been at the Lane today if I hadn't forgotten to buy tickets! Damn.
Anyway, I've just watched the highlights and was very pleased with what I saw.

The first goal was created by Keane for Jenas to tap it in on the line. JJ got his second, latching onto a long pass from Berbatov, going around the goalkeeper and beating the defender on the line. He made it look so simple.

For the third, Robinson picked out Berbatov with an 80-yard clearance, who controlled and flicked the ball back over Kilbane before laying back to Lennon who flicked up and volleyed across Kirkland into the corner from 20 yards. Only 34 minutes gone and cruising!

Spurs displayed some wonderful one touch football and Jenas should've had his hatrick but somehow put it into the side netting from a few yards out.

In the second half, more fabulous one touch play and Jenas puts it in the net but ruled correctly offside. JJ then put a through ball into Bent's feet and he slotted it home on 72 minutes.

Zokora, still looking for his first Spurs goal made a surging run and had a chance, but it was fingertipped away by Kirkland. Oh so close! Another great chance followed when Berbatov hit the post, and was followed up by Kaboul who also hit the woodwork.

I don't know whether the players have taken performance enhancing drugs but they looked a different team today. The movement, pace, passing and all round enthusiasm was so much better and looked like the Spurs of last season. Berbatov, after releasing a press statement two days ago seemed to be rejuvenated, like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. Thank God he's back.

I don't want to count my chickens and all that as this is only our second league win of the season, and both were 4-0 against poor opposition. Wigan were very poor and obviously made Spurs look good, but hopefully, this is the confidence boost they needed and they can drive on from here, notching up a few good results.

Hoorah and huge relief too!

Sunday thru Friday...(this & that)

So how many people do you have in the house at breakfast time? Well normally it would just be you and your immediate family. However, this is not a normal house and last Sunday we had 6 adults and 5 kids over for breakfast. John's brother Paul came down from Derbyshire for the weekend with his two girls Yas and Ellis. Chris and Sandy had their friend and her son over from Florida and so they joined us, together with their own little ones Joey and Jennifer.
Trying to cook and serve fry ups to each individual's requirements was mayhem as you can imagine but things like that don't phase John or myself. It's a different way to start the day.

Monday was my first day back at work after almost six months. It certainly felt weird. My new desk and chair were waiting for me but I couldn't do much on the system because I needed all my codes resetting etc. I got sent on a presentation for an hour to kill some time - that was a yawn a minute; do I really care how HSBC are doing?! My rehab hours were Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am-1pm that week. Next week will be fours days of four hours and that will gradually build up until I'm full time again. I'm seriously thinking about going part time because I don't know whether I can face working every day anymore, especially with my back problems. I have to think about my health above everything else now.

Thursday afternoon saw Spurs play Hapoel Tel Aviv in the UEFA Cup. Usually I would put this in a separate blog entry but it's not honestly worth it. The game was so sluggish and lacking in entertainment, there's not a lot I can say! At least we won 0-2 I suppose. What kept me awake was providing commentary to my friend Paula over msn as she was at work.

Friday after work I went straight round my Mum's as she was looking after Ronnie. I played with him all afternoon but then he went all weird about the old photographs on the wall behind the sofa. He got all scared and wouldn't come in the living room at all unless he closed his eyes, and at one point he was hanging on to me for dear life. Bless. I took down the photo his eyes seemed to be averting to but he still didn't like it. Very strange because Ronnie's obviously been round my Mum's many times and has never reacted like that before. I wonder how he'll be on his next visit?

I don't have anything planned for this weekend; just chilling out as a couch potato I think!

That elusive second win

Boro 1 Spurs 1 (Bent 35)

I couldn't get the live stream to work on the internet so had to resort to listening to this one on the radio. I wasn't missing much; sounded pretty dull and this was confirmed by Phil Thompson's reports on Gillette Soccer Saturday. Not much has changed there then!

New manager Juande Ramos bravely picked Bent and Defoe up front as opposed to the more familiar partnership of Keane and Berbatov and also gave Kevin Prince Boateng his first league start of the season. Given that he has only been in the country just over a week, I guess he will want to try out a few players and assess what his best team is. The full lineup: Robinson, Chimbonda, Kaboul, Dawson, Lee, Malbranque, Jenas, Boateng, Lennon, Bent, Defoe.

There is hardly anything to report from the game, and the Match of the Day highlights were very brief. You've got to say that Luke Young's equaliser for Boro was a 'screamer' - no keeper in the world would save that one. There were a few good goals around today, including another long range 'screamer' from Noe Pamarot of Portsmouth. Hard to choose from those two if the 'Goal of the month' competition was still going.

So just the one point (again) but dare we get carried away with the fact that we move up to 17th and out of the relegation zone?!!

2 today!

Happy 2nd birthday to my little nephew Ronnie. I can't believe how time has flown but he is now at the cutest age possible. I saw him for most of the day yesterday whilst my Mum was looking after him. He opened his presents then as the family are on their way to Wales today for the weekend. My Bob the Builder book and remote control fire engine were hits; Ronnie loves anything that has a siren. Dee-dah, dee-dah he's always saying and runs to the window when he hears one! His vocabulary for his age is astounding - everything you say he can repeat, no matter how many syllables. Ronnie has such an adorable character and is such a good boy, hardly ever crying. One of his favourite other things are balls. You'll always see him carrying one around and his kicking and throwing are amazing for such a little boy. Of course, I try and wind my brother up (who supports Liverpool), getting Ronnie to say 'Come On You Spurs'!

The pic of him is fairly recent and always makes me smile. Curls run in my Dad's side on the family. When you see the pics of Dad as a toddler and also my brother growing up, the similarity is uncanny.

Phew!

Spurs 2 Blackpool 0 (Carling Cup)

Goals from Robbie Keane and Pascal Chimbonda this Hallowe'en meant no nightmarish result tonight and therefore sealed our place in the last eight of the tournament. Ramos' first match in charge is a good one, although Spurs should never have been in danger of losing it. The difficult task now is to avoid Chelsea, Liverpool and the Arse in the next round. Hmmm....

No-one puts Baby in a corner

John, my mum and myself went to the West End last night to see the stage version of Dirty Dancing. My ticket was my birthday present from John, Mum's ticket was a birthday present from me and John's one was just the one he bought for himself. We only just made it in time as we had to make three changes on the tube, but we had good seats eight rows from the front.

I was dreading this show being as poor as Grease but thank heaven it wasn't. Unlike the afore mentioned, Dirty Dancing was produced much better and followed the script and scenes more or less exactly the same as the film. It was a tiny theatre, as was the stage but they made good use of the space with a variety of props and scenery. I said to John before it started, 'I wonder how they'll do the log scene'. Well down came a log from the side of the stage which looked very real, but I doubt it could be bearing in mind the weight. They had a video background of a river and it looked effective. The actor who played Johnny had a fit body (see pic) and he certainly got the girls going! The actress playing Baby was as close a likeness you're ever likely to see. You wouldn't think so looking at her in the programme but with her hair styled like Jennifer Grey's and with a figure exactly the same, it was a very good match. (I don't think the girl in the pic is her). All the songs that feature in the film were played in sequence but maybe a couple of criticisms: not enough live singing and dirty dancing! The end was great. When Johnny returned and said 'No-one puts Baby in a corner' there was huge applause. And then there was the moment when they did the lift.

I wouldn't say it's one of the best musicals I've seen, but it's definitely worth a night out.

Could it get any worse?

Spurs 1 Blackburn 2

Team line-up: Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Lee, Malbranque (Bent), Huddlestone, Zokora, Lennon, Berbatov (Defoe), Keane

It was a wet and dismal day in North London and my third outing to the Lane so far this season. After Thursday's tragic events, I didn't think it could get any worse. A winner in injury time gave Blackburn the points and leaves Spurs still struggling in the relegation zone. The team talk before the game may as well be 'Go one up, have the majority of the possession, get the crowd going then let in an equaliser. Carry on having good possession but then in the last ten minutes let the opposition into the game and don't bother to tackle anymore or close the ball down. Then be patient, wait and wait some more, until the 4th official has held up the added three minutes sign, then BAM let them score a winner'! I can't help the sarcasm; it may as well have been a script as this is the result we have grown accustomed to.

I would like to add some positives (because otherwise I might kill myself). 'STEED MALBRANQUE, YOU ARE A TROOPER'. Always giving 100%, battling, tackling, one-twos, running at players - he is an inspiration and if only all 11 players on the pitch would give their all like he does. Get hin in the middle of the park where he can really play and get rid of Huddlestone who was useless today. Aaron Lennon is starting to look like the player he was last season and at last Michael Dawson had a pretty decent match after a very dodgy start to the season. He was awarded a cheque for £30,000 today for his contribution last season - well deserved Michael.

'Ramos is in the building' as it were. Man, he has one hell of a job to do, I almost feel sorry for him! Blackpool in the Carling Cup on Wednesday should be a formality but hey, we're talking Spurs so hold on to your hats!

COYS....whatever.

I love Martin Jol, Martin Jol loves me

Spurs 1 Getafe 2 UEFA Cup

I don't have the energy or the words about the result. It's only the second time in 55 years of European football that Spurs have lost a game at home.

The resounding news from tonight is that Martin Jol handed in his resignation before the game started. Everyone knew it was coming; it was inevitable the way Spurs have played this season. I'm sitting here having wiped the tears away from my eyes, but thankful at least that he wasn't sacked - although he could've been pushed by the board who have been less than professional and underhand. That smirk by Daniel Levy after Getafe scored the second goal appeared sly and that makes me feel sick to the stomach. Whoever leaked this news to the press wants shooting as the fans obviously got wind of it and the players must have been affected during the game.

I want to pay tribute to the man who brought smiles back to the Lane. Martin joined the club in November 2004 and the last two seasons, finished 5th in the league which ensured Spurs were back in Europe. He is loved by the fans because of his honesty, integrity, sense of humour and being a true gent. This really is a sad day for Tottenham Hotspur, but would like to wish Martin well in his next job, which will presumably be back in his homeland. I don't suppose lined-up manager Ramos will be welcomed with open arms, having never managed a English club and barely speaking the language, but we need the results desperately, so I hope for the team's sake, things will start to come together. It's hard to believe the change in the performance from last season to this, especially having sent £40m on players.

Anyway, just wanted to add some pictures of the great man and say farewell and thanks. Big Martin Jol will certainly not be forgotten.



A priceless moment beating Chelsea 2-1. Remember remember the 5th of November




Addressing the fans on the season finale 2006/07



And finally, you can hold your head up high MJ. You did us proud.

It's all doom and gloom

Newcastle 3 Spurs 1

Team line-up: Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Lee, Malbranque (Berbatov), Jenas, Zokora, Bale (Tainio), Keane, Bent (Lennon)

I'm not going to beat around the bush - it was another terrible performance; Spurs basically failed to turn up. I'm not even going to summarise the game because it's really slim pickings.

I used to get really excited about every match with butterflies in my stomach, but after the dreadful start this season, I just don't feel that emotion anymore. I hope it will return quickly because football is a huge part of my life and I hate feeling like this. At the moment, I can't see any glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and wouldn't be surprised if we stay at the bottom end of the table all season. As you can tell, all my optimism has evaporated.

The Toon Army were singing 'you'll be getting the sack in the morning' at Martin Jol which is below the belt, but I don't know for how many more games he can hang on to his job.

Le Weekend

With just a day to tidy the house and get organised after coming back from holiday, we had friends Debs and Mick to stay with us for the weekend. They arrived Friday afternoon and we soon settled down to some chat and games on the Nintendo wii and a sports quiz on Buzz, either side of dinner. It was a good laugh. On Saturday, we had a surprise planned for our guests - tickets to see We Will Rock You in London. We got the train and tube to Tottenham Court Road, found the pub called The Tottenham which we'd been in before and is very appropriate for a bunch of Spurs supporters. We had over an hour to kill before the matinee performance and so propped up the bar. Then we crossed the road to the theatre and walked through the doors, which was the point at which Debs and Mick found out what the mystery was. It's the third time John and I have seen it and has become my favourite show. It was a mostly different cast from last time (presumably because it was the matinee) and although I thought the actors weren't quite as good as the others, it was still hugely enjoyable again. It was spoiled a little by the fact that Debs' mobile phone disappeared - maybe pick pocketed at some stage during the interval when we popped over to the pub. She gave her details to the theatre in case it showed up and as there was an o2 shop just opposite, Debs had the phone stopped. Shame.

When we got home, John fixed us a bite to eat and we sat down to watch the rugby world cup final between England and South Africa. Not a very memorable match and unfortunately South Africa beat us 15-6. However, there was a very debatable try ruled out for England where the officials looked to the video playback for confirmation. Mark Cueto's foot was adjudged to have touched the sideline before he placed the ball down but they took ages to come to this conclusion. It was a cruel blow and England failed to recover from that. Despite the loss, we should still feel proud of the lads for getting to the final which looked a hugely unlikely prospect at the start of the tournament.

After another of John's hearty breakfasts (although tamed down a bit upon request) Debs and Mick left for the long journey home about 10:45. We really enjoyed their company and it was nice to spend longer than an hour with them, which is the usual stint before a Spurs match.

During the next few hours, John and I caught up with some TV programmes recorded from Saturday night. Late afternoon, Chris, Sandy and the children popped in. Chris was called upon to look at my laptop which has suddenly stopped connecting to the internet. Seems there is nothing his expertise could do and a new network card is in order. Late evening, I caught up with Paula on msn. I'd missed our chats whilst I'd been away and I didn't get to bed until almost 1am. I like to be busy but tomorrow I will have a day off.

Sicily

Flight - check. Passports - check. Luggage - check. Car hire - check. First 2 nights' accommodation - check. The rest of the schedule was down to us. Eight days in Sicily, home of the mafia.

For the record, Ryanair were virtually on time there and back - amazing in itself! AND....we went to the right airport this time! :-)

Our starting position was the capital of Palermo. Bustling, manic, noisy. You have never seen driving and parking like it unless you have been to places like Cairo and Bangkok. There are tow away signs everywhere but no-one gives a damn; if there's a space you get in it. Even if there's only room for half a car, they park it with the bonnet facing the pavement! Every corner is occupied too. We soon learned that zebra crossings are not for pedestrians because cars just don't stop - it really is scary and you fear for your life.

The accommodation here was cheap and basic but that doesn't bother me as long as there's a bed, somewhere to wash and it's clean. Something else we quickly learned as well, is that breakfast in Sicily is nothing like ours - certainly at 2-3 star hotels anyway. It's pretty much a croissant or roll with jam, and a cup of tea or coffee. I was gagging for some cereal and fruit.

The city of Palermo has plenty of interesting sites but you'd have problems finding them unless you were equipped with a guide book as we were. I never go away without my Eyewitness Guide to wherever - they really are a travel bible. One place that did beat us though (because the guide book didn't give the number in the street) was the Cripta dei Cappuccini which contain catacombs with embalmed bodies and skeletons. The catacombs we visited in Paris were fantastic and full of bones so I was eager to see if this one was any good. Am I weird or what?

Half way through day two, we had travelled along the northern coast to Cefalu. This was an old town with a beach - not a great one but enough to relax on for an hour or so. We picked a large beach front hotel which cost 140 Euro for the night which was by far our biggest single expense of the trip. John got into an argument with one of the staff because the air-con wasn't working and the temperature in the room was 26 degrees. He was trying to come up with a long winded story but ultimately the air-con was broken in the hotel which he did eventually admit to. If they'd just apologised and told the truth you could accept it, so why try and lie? John attempted to get a discount on the room price but they said it wasn't their problem, it was ours and maybe we should find a hotel where the air-con was working!! Nice huh? John wanted to speak to the manager who conveniently wasn't there and was given a number to call. It was answered by someone who didn't understand John and so they hung up! I just opened the windows really wide and the room did cool down after a couple of hours so it was okay but it was the principle of the matter that annoyed us.

After wandering around Cefalu for a while, the storm clouds started to gather and it got very dark. We took coverage in an archway which led to the sea and just sat and watched the lightning. A bit of a mistake really because if we'd left to return to the hotel BEFORE it started raining, we wouldn't have been sitting there for quite the length of time we did! Boy, did it pee down! You don't go to Sicily in October without an umbrella that's for sure - I took mine and we also bought another smaller one in the market in Palermo.

Day three was spent driving to various spots, still on the northern coastline. We always like to take the scenic route wherever we are but I think it was a mistake in this case because the road we ended up on was so windy and hilly, I was feeling really sick. Motorways in future! By the end of it, we had arrived in Taomina which lies on the north east coast. What a beautiful place it was too! So this is where all the tourists are hiding. It's set very high up on the side of a large peak with the beach down below, and stunning views all around. We arrived after dark but you could still see how lovely it was. The hotel which we found in the guide book was full up so they redirected us to one almost opposite which was fine and only 100 Euro per night. We decided to stay two because there seemed to be quite a bit to see and do. Again, a very basic room but very clean and comfortable and it even had a large balcony. This was my favourite hotel as it felt homely, and the staff were so so nice and all spoke fluent English. John even went and bought a bottle of wine for the older guy there as he couldn't have been more helpful.

The Greek amphitheatre in Taomina has a great backdrop: Mount Etna. On a clear day (which we had) it was a great view. The following day however was very overcast and ruined our drive up Etna. It started raining as we were actually in the cloud, and it was freezing. We took a few snaps anyway as a memento of being there and took a few bits of lava rock as well. On the way down, we spotted a house which has been covered in lava up to the roof so we investigated that and again, took a few pics. Our next point of call was Siracusa on the south-east coast. Driving into it, it was like a building site or somewhere that had been involved in the Blitz. There were a few things to do according to the guide book so we did stick around and I'm glad we did, because when we eventually started looking for a hotel late afternoon, we found ourselves in a much better part of the town called Ortygia. Later when we went walkabout before dinner, we discovered some delightful piazzas with gorgeous buildings and fountains. Goes to show you can never judge a book by its cover - there are always treasures hidden away.

On the morning of day six, we went and photographed the places we'd seen last night. Oh and I must say, the hotel we stayed in was an amazing building: 'Palazza something or other' - basically a former palace converted into accommodation, and the lobby area and ground floor looked like a museum. On the road again, we had to head back the way we came for the quickest route on the motorway down to the south of the island. This route took us back towards Mount Etna and as the day was glorious with cloudless skies, the view of it was so incredibly clear. I said John that we have to go back as this would be our only chance (bearing in mind we rarely go return to the same destination). So we did and it paid off as we saw Etna bellowing out smoke. You can drive the car up so far and then there is an option to take the cable car up to the next level, where you can get a tour guide to take you to the summit in a jeep. Unfortunately, this wasn't really an option for me as I didn't have appropriate clothing for the temperature. However, I would have loved to have experienced it as I'm fascinated with volcanoes. One day I hope to see one erupting and maybe fly over it - don't suppose it'll happen though.

Onwards then to one of the other biggest sites of Sicily: Valle dei Templi. This is a line of Greek monuments in ruins, but probably some of the most complete looking ruins I've ever seen. It was a lovely walk as the sun was still beaming down and we were happy snapping away on our cameras.

Day seven was the least enjoyable. We visited some more ruins in the morning which were okay but not a patch on Valle dei Templi. There's not an awful lot to do in the North West of the island so it was a bit uneventful, and we ended up in the largest city there called Trapani. Gawd, what a dump. It's mainly a large shipping port with little tourist attraction and despite wandering around for a couple of hours, couldn't find anything worth looking at. We ended up back at the hotel room at 5-ish and had a bit of a snooze and a read. Three hours later, my tummy said it was time to eat so we set off in search of a restaurant. This was an impossible task as the streets were almost deserted and although we found one place fairly nearby, we couldn't understand anything on the menu and so walked on by. We actually ended up back at the hotel asking reception where we could eat! He pointed us in the direction of the road running alongside the port and we found a strange place that I can't even describe. Again, we couldn't read the menu (I forgot the phrase book) but a kind lady on the next table stepped in and helped.

We were glad to get out of the city the next morning (our last day). A few miles up the road was a small town called Erice. It was set high up on a mountain side and the roads were very windy.
Oh my, what a little gem of a place this was though. Absolutely breathtaking! The castle sat around panoramic views of the coast and also Trapani, which looked so much better from a distance! You could see they took pride in the place; it was spotless not like most of the places we'd visited. Erice has tiny little cobbled streets, cute piazzas and souvenir shops. We sat down for elevenses and with the crumbs I had left I fed the white doves out of my hand; one brave one kept flying up onto my hand which I was thrilled about - well, you know me and animals!

Another few miles around the coast was Golgo di Castellammare and there was a great view point over the harbour and beach in the distance. When we got down to it, it was a fairly nice fishing village and I particularly love taking pictures of boats. We moved on to the beach which was one of the biggest and nicest we'd seen all week, however, they are all spoiled by the litter which is left on them. The Italians really don't give a monkeys about rubbish; it's everywhere. Cigarette butts, plastic bottles and other crap - we even witnessed a driver chucking several bits of rubbish out of his car. It's not even my country but it wound me up big time. It wouldn't take any time at all to clear it up; in fact I said to John that I would volunteer to do it! Anyway we spent a couple of hours on the beach chilling out, reading, having a paddle, listening to music before the sun got hazy and it cooled down. We only had approximately three more hours until we needed to be at the airport so we ended up driving around aimlessly trying to find another suitable town to have something to eat. We didn't want to go right the way back into Palermo so stayed around the airport area; we tried a town called Carini but when we got out of the car and walked around a bit, we discovered it was bustling with locals and there were absolutely no tourists about - we felt very isolated and foreign! I guess that was why it wasn't mentioned in the guide book! We ended up stopping an an New York pizza place which is a bit ironic when you consider pizza is Italian but nevertheless it was clean and somewhere just to fill our faces before leaving for home.

We arrived at Stansted to crisp clear weather but a bit of a shock when you've been lying on a beach a few hours earlier. We got home just after 1am.

All in all, it was a nice break and Sicily had plenty of variety. The weather was mostly warm and sunny (70-75 degrees). However, I can't see me ever going back when there are so many more places to discover.

James's christening

At noon today, we attended St Mary's Methodist church, Benfleet, for the baptsim of my cousin's little boy James. It was a fairly long affair, with two families being dealt with simultaneously. The reverend was female and American and didn't seem to have a clue. Most of the words of the service were up on a screen which she was following as well as the congregation - surely she should know it off by heart? At one stage there was a long pregnant pause while she tried to find a verse from the bible.

This baptism was like no other I'd been to. At one stage, she had three adults and all the children up to the font area, had James's older brother Thomas dress up as a Queen's guard and used it as a metaphor to prevent the children from getting to Jesus; the moral of the story being that Jesus always encouraged children to come to him ??? (but I could be wrong because it was all a bit odd)! James won't let strangers near him (he's a toddler) so the reverend baptised him whilst still in his mum's arms.

Everyone went back to Janet and Lee's afterwards. They had caterers in and we were fed with canapes and finger food on trays, which must've cost them a fortune. Not enough veggie stuff for me though but I don't eat much at lunchtime so it didn't matter. I did need something to soak up the wine though - I don't usually drink it but decided to have a glass of rose which went straight to my head.

The kids had plenty to do. Lee has built a fort in the garden which is brilliant, and as well as slides, swings, bikes etc, the football was well used. Yes yes, I joined in - can I ever resist?! A children's entertainer was also hired which the adults muscled in on as well.

All in all it was a nice afternoon.